Rapid strep test cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 15 hospitals list a cash price for rapid strep A antigen test from a throat swab, read visually: from $27.65 to $149.66, with a median of $110.76. The lowest listed price is at Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista and 4 other hospitals — $83.11 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $107.89 at 156 hospitals.
- The median here, $110.76, is 88% above the US median of $59.00.
- That is 6.7× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($16.53).
- San Diego, CA ranks 3rd of 5 metro areas in California by median, cheapest first.
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 15 facilities across 8 cities for code 87880, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 30, 2026 and May 29, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Strep a Ag Screen File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $27.65 | $110.60 | $8.85–$88.48 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas lowest Encinitas, CA · (760) 753-6501 HC Strep a Ag Screen File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $27.65 | $110.60 | $8.85–$88.48 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Strep a Ag Screen File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $27.65 | $110.60 | $8.85–$88.48 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 626-4123 HC Strep a Ag Screen File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $27.65 | $110.60 | $8.85–$88.48 | 75% |
| Scripps Green Hospital lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 554-3600 HC Strep a Ag Screen File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $27.65 | $110.60 | $8.85–$88.48 | 75% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Strep Test (Streptococcus, Group A) File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $50.60 | $92.00 | $10.03–$124.20 | 45% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $110.76 | $213.00 | $12.00–$35.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $110.76 | $213.00 | $12.00–$35.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $110.76 | $213.00 | $12.00–$35.00 | 48% |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC STREP A ASSAY W/OPTIC - RAPID STREP A SCREEN File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $132.00 | $176.00 | $11.12–$2,033.48 | 25% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC STREP A ASSAY W/OPTIC - RAPID STREP A SCREEN File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $132.00 | $176.00 | $1.00–$158.40 | 25% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC STREP A ASSAY W/OPTIC - RAPID STREP A SCREEN File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $132.00 | $176.00 | $1.15–$140.80 | 25% |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC STREP A ASSAY W/OPTIC - RAPID STREP A SCREEN File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $132.00 | $176.00 | $1.15–$140.80 | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Point Of Care Rapid Strep A+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $135.75 | $181.00 | — | 25% |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Strep A, Rapid+1 more line at this price File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $149.66 | $249.44 | $7.06–$196.81 | 40% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Strep A Antigen With Optic File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $159.00 | $212.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Strep Rapid Antigen File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $166.50 | $222.00 | — | 25% |
Outpatient: lowest $27.65, median $110.76, highest $149.66 — a 5.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 15 facilities here, median $110.76. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 11 of 14 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What rapid strep test is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Rapid strep test explained.